Event highlight
21.03.2021

Challenges in International Security: Far-right Extremism in the World Today

Hear Prof. Dr. Cynthia Miller-Idriss speak about the recruitment and radicalization tactics of far-right movements.

On March 15, 2021Dr. Cynthia Miller-Idriss, Professor at the American University and Director of the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL), discussed insights based on her book Hate in the Homeland. The event was hosted by the Centre for International Security and chaired by Marina Henke, Professor of International Relations and the Centre's Director.

As communities around the world struggle to understand the recent surge of far-right extremism, Dr. Miller-Idriss argued that instead of focusing on how and why radicalization occurs, more attention should be paid to the physical and virtual spaces where hate is cultivated. 

Dr. Miller-Idriss described how far-right groups develop their cultural, intellectual, and financial capacities in a variety of mainstream settings. She explained how young people on the margins of society are targeted in surprising places, from college campuses and clothing stores to online gaming chat rooms and YouTube cooking channels. According to Miller-Idriss, the path to radicalization is a nuanced process of moving in and out of far-right scenes throughout adolescence and adulthood. The talk reviewed definitions, tactics, and underlying ideas of modern far-right extremism and concluded with a discussion of potential innovative strategies for combatting extremist radicalization.

This presentation was part of the Centre for International Security's speaker series "Challenges in International Security".

Missed this event? Listen to the full recording here: 


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Views expressed by the author/interviewee may not necessarily reflect the views and values of the Hertie School.

More about the chair

  • Marina Henke, Professor of International Relations | Director, Centre for International Security